Impish Fae the info
by LizBethy
Summary: This is the info on the Fae of the story Impish Fae. I had a lot of people who were like, what the %$(#$ so here it is!! *smacks self* I don't know HOW it got under the german category, but here it is, in he ENGLISH area ~_~*


Ossu! I had a lot of confused people on the Fae thing, so here's the info on the Fae!! There are all the  
characters I'll most likely use!!   
  
Clarification:  
  
Fae- Faery, Fearies, Fairy, Fairies.  
  
Fir Darrig-  
  
The Fir Darrig, pronounced "fear dearg", is an Irish fairy, though its original home may have been Scotland.  
Translated, the name means "red man." They are also known by the name Rat Boys, largely due to their   
appearance; they have dark, hairy skin, long snouts, skinny tails and are rather fat. Even their clothing looks as   
though it might have been scrounged from a sewer, being extremely torn and shabby.   
Some legends hold that the Fir Darrig is an unlucky former human who wandered into fairyland by mistake   
and now attempts to warn others from making the same mistake. Despite this apparently good-natured move,  
they revel in cruel and gruesome practical jokes, which they play upon those who have made the mistake of   
irritating them. Possessing a similar lack of taste in their choice of foodstuffs, Fir Darrigs consume  
carrion as their main staple.   
  
Banshee:  
  
an extremely beautiful faery, possessing long, flowing hair, red eyes (due to continuous weeping) and light   
complexions. They wear green dresses with gray cloaks. Their wailing foretells of a death nearby, though it   
never causes such a death (which is why they are wrongly feared). Some of Ireland's oldest aristocracy could  
boast of banshees dwelling nearby their ancestral homes.   
If one heard the wailing of the Banshee and discovered candles burned in a winding pattern (like a shroud)   
later that evening, they knew the death was to occur in their household. In Scotland she squats near the door   
of the one doomed and in Cornwall her figure flaps her wings against the glass of the window belonging to s/he   
who would die.   
"Woman fairy." The Irish have many names for her (perhaps they feared invocation of her true name may   
invoke her presence?). They included: Washer of the Shrouds, Washer at the Banks, Washer at the Ford   
and the Little Washer of Sorrow.   
  
Sylphs:  
  
As a whole, this miniature race is very beautiful. They are long-lived, reaching hundreds of years in age,   
yet they never seem to become old. Like other elementals, they possess the ability to shape shift and may   
assume human form. Typically residing on mountaintops, they possess a hierarchy system, with their leader   
Paralda occupying the highest mountain of Earth.   
Kind of nature, they are most helpful with wishes involving air, though they will assist with any positive   
desire. In addition, they are associated with mental development and one of their functions is to inspire human   
creativity.   
  
  
Trows:  
  
The trows (rhyming with row) possess many traits similar to those of their northern brethren. They fear   
sunlight, though they are only frozen in place until dawn rather than turned to stone, as are trolls. Once the   
sun has set, they are free to return to their underground homes.   
Among their other names are creepers and night stealers, as trows have been known to kidnap human babies  
from cribs, leaving a changeling in the place of the child. Fiddlers have also been nabbed to play for the  
trowish revels. Some fiddle tunes are even accredited to Shetland's trows. (The name sea-trow, I should   
note, typically denotes a selkie, rather than the trows we discuss here.)   
The legends of trows typically describe them as squat, round, and misshapen faeries lacking legs. Movement  
is achieved by bouncing about on their bottoms like rubber balls. They are not necessarily wicked in nature,  
but they are mischievous and delight in hiding things from people under the cover of darkness.   
  
Phookas:  
  
In Ireland the Phooka typically chooses a horse body, however he is a shape shifter and sometimes becomes  
a goat, a bull, a dog, or an eagle (among other beasts). His head is that of a human male. They are  
pranksters, like most goblins, and appear to weary travelers as docile ponies. Once their victim has climbed   
upon aboard, the phooka takes the hapless rider on a wild ride across the wettest and most loamy country before  
depositing him in ditch or tossing him headlong into the mire. His eagle form has also lended itself to a  
similar trick.   
Phookas are pack animals and frequent fights occur among the vicious creatures. The Irish believe that   
should the sun shine though it is raining, the Phooka will be abroad that night. In Ireland, the Phooka  
never enters human houses, however in Wales the Booka sneak have taken their cue from Santa Claus  
and sneak in through the chimney. This poses particular dangers because the species adores human babies  
and are always looking for one to steal.   
Aside from baby snatching, they wreck havoc by destroying crops, specifically claiming any crop not   
harvested by Samhain. A farmer who dares to cut any crops after that date is likely to receive retribution  
in the form of a dead herd animals (the Irish say mysteriously dead cows have been pooked, at term which   
likely grew from Phooka). In particular, the Phooka loves potatoes and swipes them from untended fields  
at night. Between Midsummer and Samhain humans are safe from the Phooka's tricks, as they are believed  
to go into hibernation for a time.   
  
  
Pixies  
  
Pixies are the pranksters of Cornwall. Some sources attribute their origin to the Irish saints, while others   
claim they are souls of virtuous pagans. The most prevalent theory regards them as the gods of pre-Christian  
Cornwall.   
They delight in leading people astray from their paths and leaving them to wander aimlessly for hours until  
dropping into a deep sleep, a practice which spawned the term pixie-led. While pranksters, Pixies were also  
known to lend helpful hands to humans in need. The elderly might find household tasks mysteriously  
complemented, the worthy farmer may discover his grain has been mysteriously threshed and maidens searching  
for their true love may beseech his name by going to a well and pleading with the Pixie folk.   
Typically they appear as wise old men no taller than a hand's span. (In fact, there is only one reference to a  
female pixie, Joan the Wad, who is regarded as their Queen.)   
  
Leprechauns  
  
Leprechauns are a race of cobblers whose craftsmanship is beyond compare. As a result, their wares go for  
astonishing sums, which makes most of them exceedingly wealthy and is likely the source of the tales of their  
pots of gold. Infamous hoarders, they are loathe to spend a single penny, which probably explains their poor   
appearance in spite of their great wealth. Some legends say that once a leprechaun begins dancing to a human's  
song, he cannot stop until the tune ceases. His exhausted state may cause him to make outlandish offers,  
including his crock of gold, if you will please only allow him to stop dancing. Other means of finding his  
gold include looking at the end of a rainbow, which may lead him offer 3 wishes in exchange for his treasure.   
His promises of gold always proves hollow, as the Leprechaun always employs clever tricks in his granting   
of wishes, often resulting in the embarrassment or injury to the one who expected a bounteous reward.   
Green is the color of choice among this race, though their clothing is never extravagant. Their footwear,   
however, is a source of pride and every Leprechaun posses the very finest he can make. Their clientele is  
exclusively faery and legend holds that they only make one shoe at a time, never pairs.   
Apparently, the race is exclusively male as no female Leprechauns have ever been   
seen.   
  
Gnomes  
  
As a species, they are 7 times stronger than humans. Another of their unique characteristics, Gnomes are  
always born as a set of twins. Leading nocturnal lives, they rarely come into contact with humankind.   
Largely due to the her choice of garb, the domain of the female gnome is the home and thus it is with the male  
that almost all-human contact occurs. Females wear either gray or khaki colored clothing consisting of a  
blouse, an ankle length skirt, knee socks and high shoes or slippers. (The color combination results in a  
possibility that she may be mistaken for a mouse or other small forest animal and be captured by an owl   
before he realized his mistake.) Prior to marriage, the outfit is complemented by a green cap and braids,   
which later disappear under a scarf while the green cap is replaced by more somber tones after she marries.   
Male Gnomes wear red caps and blue smocks complemented by green pants and footwear. They are fair of   
face, though the boast rosy red cheeks. Long beards adorn their faces and turn gray far sooner than their hair.   
Males are the guardians of animal kind and show little preference for their animal friends, not withstanding   
their aversion to cats both wild and domesticated. They are known for freeing wildlife from man's traps and for  
operating on farm animals whose owners have neglected them or who are simply to poor to afford a veterinarian.   
Gnomes consist of a number of different types. The most common is the Forest Gnome who rarely comes into   
contact with man. The Garden Gnome lives in old gardens and enjoys telling melancholy tales. Dune   
Gnomes are slightly larger than their woodland brethren and choose remarkably drab clothing. House   
Gnomes have the most knowledge of man, often speaking his language. It is from this family that Gnome   
Kings are chosen. Farm Gnomes resemble their House brethren, but are more conservative in manner and  
dress. Siberian Gnomes have been more interbred than other Gnomes and associate freely with trolls. They  
are much larger than the other types and have an infinitely more nasty nature. It is best never to evoke the   
ire of such Gnomes for they delight in revenge.   
  
Goblins  
  
Appropriately, goblins are known as the thieves and villains of the fae realm. The term goblin can apply   
either to the ugliest members of the fae, or to certain sub-races. They are also usually in mines searching for  
ore.  
  
Fire Drakes  
Drakes are typically described as smallish cousins to dragons. Like some of the bigger animals, they   
breathe fire. This trait, in turn, results in their odiferous quality that has been described as a cross between   
a chicken coop and rotten eggs.   
They are benevolent creatures, who, when residing in a human domicile, will keep the firewood dry and bless   
the hearth. Drakes expect their kindness to be returned and react negatively to human mistreatment.   
When not residing with a human, they are usually found in woodpiles or deep in an ancient forest.   
Typically they are nocturnal, being most active from nightfall until shortly after dawn.   
  
Weell, this is the information on Imish Fae!! 


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